Easter and Passover: Two great holidays which require a LOT of preparation in the kitchen. The family is coming over, Uncle Leo insists you have asparagus on the table, and Grandpa Joe absolutely must have his brisket. And did you remember to get enough eggs to hide in the backyard?

Lots of plans, and very little time to get everything in order. So why not remove one of the most stressful parts about planning for the holidays? Instead of stressing over the menu, let Whole Foods take care of the meal for you!

Whole Foods Marketplace in the Pearl is offering a special Easter and Passover menu special for the week leading up to the holidays. Now, you can order a special dinner for four, making sure both Uncle Leo and Grandpa Joe get what they want when everyone sits at the table. Take a look at some of the catering options you will find on Whole Foods’ Catering Menu:

Holiday Dinner with Ham- Enjoy a delicious ham dinner for Easter, which is completed with Creamer Potatoes with Caramelized Leeks, Orzo Pasta Salad with Spring Peas, and Asparagus Salad with Julienne Vegetables.

Tax Season is always a difficult time. There are so many variables that factor in, so many 3rd parties that promise the highest refund, and by the end of the day, you usually have to cut a big check.

It’s not just taxes, either. Financial issues are a lifetime struggle for many people. Am I saving enough? Are my accounts in order?

That’s why USAgencies is hosting a Feast&Forum throughout April, which is Financial Literacy Month! Every Wednesday, USAgencies Credit Union will be talking about some of the most important aspects of being financially literate while you get to enjoy a brown bag lunch.

Each event will be hosted at the Credit Union, located on 95 SW Taylor Street. Take a look at what you will be learning about during the month of April:

APRIL 1ST: Investing Concerns in a Fragile Market - Take a deep dive into common investing mistakes and discuss the importance of asset allocation.

APRIL 8TH: Roth IRA - Learn the benefits of Roth IRAs and how they are different from Traditional IRA; plus learn about the TSP option with a Roth.

USAgencies has been raising money for the month of April and March for SMART, a great program dedicated to getting books to kids. Take a look at how USAgencies is doing so far, and how you can help them reach their goal of $1000 by April 30th!

Since March 1st, we’ve been spreading the word about SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) as a part of our Drive Into Reading Spring Car Sale with Enterprise Car Sales. To date, we’ve raised $100 for SMART - that’s 10% of our goal of $1,000.

What will this $100 do? It will provide about 33 books for SMART students.

Why SMART?

Some of you may be wondering why SMART? Why is the credit union partnering with this organization?

USAgencies is committed to investing in our community, not just in financially specific education programs, like BALANCE that we provide free to our members, or like our Feast&Forum sessions hosted throughout the year – we’ve committed to improving the financial lives of our community at the core, on a basic level, and one of those basics is reading.

According to this infographic from SMART, approximately 50 percent of the nation’s unemployed youth (ages 16 – 21) are functionally illiterate, with virtually no prospects for obtaining jobs. By investing in programming like SMART, who’s mission is to”engage community volunteers to read one-on-one with PreK through 3rd grade children who need reading support” we can impact the early literacy years of Oregon kids, one reader at a time, one story at a time.

Help us reach our goal:
By April 30th, we want to have our Facebook campaign page read “GOAL REACHED! $1,000 for SMART!” And, USAgencies is going to match that effort, $1 for $1 (up to $1,000). We encourage our members to support SMART with us.

Competition has a way of bringing out the best in students. That’s why we are very excited that the New Venture Championship is returning to the University of Oregon!

For those who are unaware, the New Venture Championship (NVC) is presented annually by the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business. It is the original six-round business competition for graduate students. NVC has evolved into the premiere international entrepreneurial investment competition since it was founded in 1992. The 16 accepted teams have an opportunity to share their ventures and grow as both entrepreneurs and students.

NVC’s mission is to develop skilled and knowledgeable entrepreneurial leaders who are able to present their ideas in concise and thoughtful ways, be open to construction, and adapt to the ever-changing business environment.

The competition takes place in Portland, Oregon every spring. Teams from around the world and the United States present and defend their business plans to a panel of esteemed judges for valuable feedback and a chance to win over $60,000 in cash prizes. All NVC competitors receive cash awards and advice from Northwest business entrepreneurs and executives to help their goals flourish.

Take a look at the NVC video for an in-depth look at what happens at the competition:

Portland Pedal Power is happy to be partnered with USAgencies Credit Union, a local business dedicated to giving back to the community. This March, USAgencies is giving back through the SMART program. Read their guest blog on what they’re hoping to accomplish these next two months:

Drive into Reading with USAgencies! During the months of March and April, USAgencies is teaming up with Enterprise Car Sales for a special sale with an extra bonus for SMART (Start Making A Reader Today). What’s the bonus? Book. Lots of em.

For each Enterprise Car Sales vehicle financed through USAgencies during the sale, Enterprise is donating $70 to SMART. This will buy a Book Pack for 2 students – that’s a pack of 14 books per child to get them through the SMART program during a school year. Students get to keep these books for their very own, to share with their family and read at home – an integral part of literacy development.

In addition to the Enterprise donations, USAgencies will match dollar for dollar up to $1000 each donation made on USAgencies’ Facebook campaign page. Help reach their goal of $1000 so they can double the impact!

Everybody loves Pi Day. Not only is it everyone’s favorite irrational number, but it’s a great excuse to enjoy some delicious pie.

This year, Portland Pedal Power and Pacific Pie Co. are teaming up to bring you not not just Pi Day, but Pi Week!

Rather than cram all that Pi goodness into a single day (or a single minute, if you’re going for “EXTREME PI DAY” at 3/14/15 9:26 AM) we’re extending the celebration to the entire week, with a special offer every day leading up to Pi Day.

Getting your orders in for the week leading up to Pi Day will get you something different each day. See what kind of extra baked goodness you can get, including:

Monday (3/9) – Ordering any pie from Pacific Pie Co. will get you free delivery, ensuring nothing gets between you and your Pie.

Tuesday (3/10) – Orders totaling more than $200 will receive a dozen free bite-sized sweet pies, so everyone around the office can get a taste of something sweet.

Wednesday (3/11)- orders totaling more than $200 will get a $10 gift card to Pacific Pie, getting you some credit to celebrate Pi Day this Saturday.

Thursday (3/12) - Orders over $200 will receive a 2 free mini savories pies, giving you a chance to try the other side of the pie spectrum!

Friday (3/13) – Order a full sized pie, and Pacific Pie Co. will include a hand-made pastry in the the shape of the Pi Symbol on top of your pie.

The One Year Anniversary is always exciting. Most of the time, it’s surprising it’s even been a full year! It feels more like 4 months, or just a few weeks.

This week, World Foods is celebrating their One Year Anniversary of their Everett location! This coming Saturday, come celebrate at World Foods Everett location for celebrating and wine tasting! The party lasts from 1:00 – 5:00 PM on Saturday, the 28th.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to get away. Not just taking a day off and going to the waterfront for the afternoon, but actually get away from it all. Somewhere away from cellphone coverage, the constant moisture in the air, and the glare of the computer screen. Does such a place exist? And where do I sign up?

TREO Ranch is a unique destination for cycling clubs, team building, executive and corporate retreats, as well as family and group vacations. You can escape the day-to-day grind by traveling to Eastern Oregon, where you’ll see a countryside unlike anything you may find on the western side of the cascades.

TREO Bike Tours offers group bike tours with full support. Each ride is all inclusive, meaning you get a full set of meals, full ride support for any mechanical issues that may come up, micro beer and soda on tap, and even a hot tub for those extra long rides.

TREO takes you through the side of Oregon less traveled. You will experience both gravel and paved roads (and most importantly, carless roads!) traversing both high a low altitudes. You can customize your trek, pick and choose which routes your group can enjoy based on the skill level (from intermediate to beyond advanced) and interest (speed, distance, and elevation).

During your bike tour, experience hearty meals and comfortable lodging at TREO’s western guest ranch near the Hardman Ghost Town in Eastern Oregon. Their secluded and comfortable 3200-sq-ft guest house has 12 beds and sits on a 300-acre farm with the nearest neighbors miles away. After a long ride, you can enjoy a leisurely soak in the six-person hot tub, enjoy a game of pool, pull a cold one from your personal tap, kick back with the air conditioner on their comfy couches or relax outside in the shade.

Cycling might be your thing, but what about your cousin Larry, who may be less enthusiastic? Larry doesn’t have to miss out; TREO also has Multi-Sport Adventures, like Clay Pigeons, Target Shooting, hiking through Glutton Falls, and even Calf Roping for the ladies!

Check out a brief snapshot of what you’ll see when you sign up for TREO Bike Tours:

Roses: The tried and true way of telling that significant other that they mean the world to you. Other flowers just don’t seem to cut it, and certainly don’t send the right message (take it from me, a handful of dandelions stopped being cute when you pass the age of 9)

But at the same time, everyone does roses, right? What kind of message are you sending with wilting, drab flowers you grabbed at the last minute from the drug store?

Whole Foods and Portland Pedal Power are teaming up to bring you something completely unique for this coming Valentines Day. You can order two dozen Whole Trade Roses to be delivered in the Downtown Portland area this coming February 13th and 14th. (Valentines Day!)

This isn’t just empty bragging rights, either. Whole Trade products also give back to the communities they come from. Thanks to the Whole Trade® Guarantee, a “social premium” amount is paid for every case of flowers, supporting community projects in Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica. Take a look at the positive impact yourself:

Ready to get some bonus points in the Valentines Day department? Get your orders in early so you can head into the Valentines Day weekend stress free this year!

Valentines Day: The perfect opportunity to make yourself look like a hero for your special someone. But how do you top yourself from last year? Don’t waste your time searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. We’ll take care of the heavy lifting and give you all the credit!

Together, Tique Box and Portland Pedal Power are bringing you a chance to send someone a special gift on February 13 and 14. Anyone can get a box of chocolates or a stuffed animal. But getting something truly incomparable? Tique Box has you covered.

Using the Valentine’s Delivery Service, your gift can be hand-delivered by bike, a truly unique and Portland way to celebrate your loved ones. Think of us like cupid, but instead of wings, bows and arrows, we’ve got gears, wheels and boxes filled with Woodblock Chocolate, Rose City Sweets, and Smitten Artisan Truffles.

Each box includes items crafted by Portland artisans and a personalized note from you. Our easy-to-navigate system allows you to customize the experience with a personal touch.